Array of conductive pathways

Abstract

The present invention provides metal/polymer composites including a plastic substrate having longitudinally extending conductive members, adapted to make bonded electrical connections to an array of closely spaced conductive terminal pads. In general terms, the metal/polymer composites include a thin, flexible sheet-like plastic substrate having a plurality of longitudinally extending, regularly spaced, metal pathways or members on one major surface thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A stretched metal/polymer composite comprising a plastic substrate having a plurality of longitudinally extending conductive members provided thereon, said conductive members comprising a rigid polymeric core having a metal coating thereon. 
     
     
       2. The stretched metal/polymer composite of claim 1 wherein said plastic substrate has a thickness of about 0.05-2 mm. 
     
     
       3. The stretched metal/polymer composite of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said plastic substrate and the thickness of said rigid polymer core have a thickness ratio of about 1:1-100:1. 
     
     
       4. The stretched metal/polymer composite of claim 1 wherein said rigid polymer core has a cross section of an isosceles triangle. 
     
     
       5. The stretched metal/polymer composite of clam 2 wherein said conductive members are provided in a density of greater than 20 members/cm. 
     
     
       6. A metal/polymer composite comprising a plastic substrate, a metal layer and a polymeric ridge region lying thereunder, said metal/polymer composite further comprising a plurality of connective polymeric groove regions, wherein the thickness of a cross section of said ridge regions is greater than the thickness of a cross section of said groove regions. 
     
     
       7. A metal/polymer composite of claim 6 wherein the ratio of the thickness of said plastic substrate at said ridge regions to the thickness of said plastic substrate at said groove regions is about 1.2:1-10:1. 
     
     
       8. A metal/polymer composite of claim 6 wherein said metal layer has a thickness of about 0.05-5 μm.